Monday, December 24, 2012

Today I'm pleased to introduce to you Rosi with Illusion Creations. Please take some time to meet her and view her beautiful creations!

Well, I'll start by saying that I'm a retired senior who has always enjoyed making things. I retired from the corporate world 3 years ago. I have 3 wonderful children and 3 even more wonderful grandchildren and expecting another in the Spring.

Everyone was amazed by them and kept telling me you should sell them. I had come across Etsy while doing some Christmas shopping. By the time I decided to opened a shop it was after the holidays, too late for the ornaments, so I opened listing floral arrangements. By August, I was ready for my ornaments. My shop has a variety of items. Besides my floral arrangements & Christmas ornaments, I also sell frames, mirrors, boxes, dressy hats for women, etc. I also have inspirational poems which I've written myself. My creativity has no rhyme or reason. I could be sitting watching TV and something pops into my head, this also happens when I'm reading before I go to sleep.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

One of the lessons I've learned from selling wholesale is that little problems become big problems, and big problems become bigger problems.

When I started selling candles, I did so because 1.) I found I was making too many to burn and to give away; and 2.) my son had graduated, my child support went away, and I needed the additional income. When I started selling wholesale, I did so because I thought the additional revenue generated from larger sales would bring in additional income.

What I learned firsthand from starting my business was that it takes money to make money. Oh, I knew that, I thought to myself. But I didn't realize at the time that little of the sales generated actually made it back to my personal cash flow. Revenue generated simply went to purchasing more supplies to generate more sales.
So, it should stand to reason that it would take more cash flow to begin selling wholesale and that it would take time for everything to balance. Bigger orders simply means more revenue being spent for supply inventory.

Lesson learned from big problem #1.

Along the way I've learned lessons from problem #2 - your product has to be immaculate. Not that mine has ever been substandard, but sometimes I'm too close to it to see the minor imperfections a shop owner would see. (Which is also why I always have someone proofread any truly important piece of written word at work!) So, I've quickly learned to improve the packaging of my product and how it's shipped. People want hand crafted items, as long as the items don't look hand crafted.

This weekend I lost over $375, and I learned hard lesson #3.

There were are few imperfections and an item was broken; the buyer was completely unsatisfied and would not accept replacement products. She only wanted a total refund. And I had no policies to protect me.

No policies about refunds. No policies about returns. I called the buyer to try to correct the situation, because from my perspective every argument I was given could be fixed. But it didn't matter. From her perspective, I needed to play with the big boys. And if Yank** Cand** could give a total refund, so could I.

I'm not here to cry (although I've done a lot of it), and I'm not here to encourage negative conversation about how (COMPLETELY) unreasonable she was. But I am here to share the lessons I've learned. I know the moans and groans we all experience when the individual buyer complains, wants a lower price or refund, or leaves negative feedback. But until you are able to deal with (and afford) the "small" problems the individual buyer brings, it's going to be challenging to deal with (and afford) the "small" problems the wholesale buyer brings.

So, now I have my policy on refunds. I have my policy on returns. Without trying to be unreasonable, I don't offer them, but will offer replacement product in its place. The policy will be written on all order, invoice, and shipping documentation. At least until I can afford to lose another $375.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Every other Sunday I give thanks to curators who have included my products in their treasuries, shopping collections on Etsy. Please take some time to view these creations and visit the other stores and their wonderful items! Which is your favorite?

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Most of you probably have your homes decorated to the hilt this holiday season, but there may be a mantle or tablescape that needs just a touch of warmth. That's where candles can come to save the day! While boutique, fragrant candles are meant to stand on their own, inexpensive candles from your local low cost department store can be decorated with a few simple items from your craft store to create a unique look for your home!

Cranberries are an inexpensive and colorful decoration this holiday season. Find a shapely vase, fill with cranberries and water, and top with a tea light.

For a more sophisticated look, fill a bread tray or other piece of your coordinating dinnerware with cranberries and set a few small pillar candles evenly spaced.

To create this even more elegant look, place roses at the bottom of a straight hurricane vase, fill two thirds with water, and place a handful of cranberries, which will float to the top. Set your tea light atop and voila!

Even though this concept is not a holiday decoration, it could be easily converted by using colored sand to coordinate with your festive decor!

If your look includes a lot of greenery, wrap leaves around pillar candles and tie with a colorful bow! I think this would be lovely in Hanukkah blues!

For a fun look, use a hot glue gun to adhere candies to a pillar candle. I love the look of the peppermints, but I think the look in ribbon candies (my favorite) would be uniquely elegant!

And for the simplest look of all, use a simple white plate with simple white votives and candies sprinkled around. Less than 60 seconds, and you've created a festive centerpiece for your home!

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Today I'm pleased to introduce to you Janet Davis of JD's Bow Creation. Please take some time to learn more about her and her wonderful creations!

I am retired from a local hospital
where I worked for 32 years as an Administrative Assistant. I started my business quite by accident and
for something to do with my free time. A
friend and I decided to start up a baking business so we signed up for 6 local
craft shows. We made a variety of
candies and brownies, cookies, coffee cakes, etc. and decided to sell gift trays filled with
truffles, assorted chocolates and fudge.
The trays weren’t selling very well so I learned how to make bows to put
on the trays hoping to market our business a little better. The bows were such a hit that we started
selling gift trays by the bow that was on them instead of what chocolates were
on the tray. At the end of our craft
show run, my friend decided that we weren’t making enough to cover our expenses
so we abandoned the baking business.

I had so much fun making bows and
there was enough interest for my bows that I wanted to start a different
business. Another friend told me about
Etsy so I checked it out. I set up my
policies and shop information on December 27th but officially opened
my “doors” (complete with inventory) on January 15, 2012. I started with Christmas bows and expanded to
Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Weddings, Baby showers, Memorial Day/Fourth
of July, Birthdays, and Special Occasions such as house warming gifts, graduations,
anniversaries, etc.

My mom taught me how to knit,
crochet and sew and I taught myself how to do many more crafts. I helped my sister, who has her own floral
business in her home, make corsages and boutonnieres for weddings. I also taught myself how to frame pictures
by picking out matting, glass and frames.
I discovered I had a good eye for color and with my knowledge of other
crafts, my artistry started shining through.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

The holidays seem to come earlier and earlier every year. Our retail environment seems to believe that opening earlier every year is a way to satisfy consumer demand, when in reality, we continue to look for gifts that are more unique and personal than big business can deliver.
Not everyone is situated to deliver hand made gifts of their own. That's where D'Lites by Dorene is here to help.
In addition to the high quality candle and home fragrance products you've come to know, I'm pleased to introduce to you several gift ideas available to you now:

While not new, this is a concept I've been working on over the past year. As a gift that keeps on giving, my pine cone firestarters have been triple dipped in my most popular seasonal fragrances and are wicked the entire length of the cone. My pine cones have been locally harvested and dried over a year to light perfectly and to start your home fire with a fragrant burst!As with my candles, the wax of the pine cones is a custom blend of paraffin and soy waxes. Paraffin is used to hold the strong colors you see and scents you smell. Soy is used to create a product more eco-friendly to our environment. Together, a quality product is created and tested to be the best possible for you and your home.To ensure your order can be filled and mailed to your recipient by Christmas, please place your order no later than December 10th.

Beyond Candles: Bath & Body Fragrances

Looking for a personal, affordable gift for your neighbor or coworker? Look no further than the bath & body fragrances available at D'Lites by Dorene.

While candles and home fragrance products are a large portion of my business, I also delight in creating body fragrance products that are unique from the commercial market. This holiday season, I have new and afforable gift ideas ready for you:

Gift set of lotion bars, rose petal soaps, and candles- New! These gift sets are the perfect accompaniment to your powder room or indulgence for a romantic bath. Create your ambiance by lighting this cute 2 oz candle, then place rose petal soaps in a pretty soap dish with these small lotion bars nearby. Rose petal soaps are made to be disposed after each individual use and provide a dainty look for your powder room. My lotion bars are made with locally harvested beeswax and emolient shea and cocoa butters. For a romantic evening, light the candle and float the rose petals in the bath tub for a relaxing soak. Let the lotion bar melt on your skin for a light and smooth protective barrier on your skin. All of this is yours or a unique gift for only $16. Check my website for color coordinated fragrances and gift ideas.

All gifts can be mailed to your recipient and can include a gift tag.

Fragrances of the Month: Cinnamon & Balsam, Snickerdoodle!

Throughout December, I'm offering my two most popular holiday fragrances at 10% off!

Cinnamon & Balsam is a custom blend of two popular fragrances found this time of year. If you like a strong, pine fragrance blended with cinnamon spice, these candles are for you! Cinnamon & Balsam is a good, modern fragrance for those who like to experiment and be on the cutting edge.

Snickerdoodle is also a custom blend based upon the classic Christmas cookie (well, at least it is in my household!). Snickerdoodle is a good fragrance to create the cozy, comfort of home feeling we tend to gravitate toward this time of year.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Every other Sunday I give thanks to the curators who have featured my products in their beautiful shopping collections on Etsy, called "treasuries." Please take the time to visit these gorgeous collections and start your holiday shopping!

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

One of the first challenges with any business is determining your pricing structure, and many businesses go under because they are not charging enough. If your marketing strategy is to be a low cost leader (think Walmart) this may work for you as the volume of sales will drive your revenue. But when starting a business, we're often think about any sales, not yet volume of sales.

The first step in determining pricing is to be knowledgeable of your costs. Be sure you have a clear knowledge of cost per unit when calculating your product costs.

For example, assume I make a necklace comprised of three simple pieces. Piece A is available in units of 10 for $1. Piece B is available in units of 12 for $1. Piece C is available in single units for $1. Your units costs are:

But don't forget about labor and overhead costs. Yes! You need to pay yourself! This example is going to assume $10 per hour labor, although I know your time is valued at much more than this! Assume it takes 15 minutes to make one necklace. Total labor cost for one necklace is:

Whoa!!!!! That's what I'm selling my necklace for as retail!!!! It is so easy to fall into this trap, because we know what a similar product may sell for in similar online shops, and even in our local department store. The online competitor may sell for $25.00 and the local department store for $15.00. But, you say, mine is hand crafted with better quality items. Cost is not always a deciding factor with the customer, sometimes quality is. But you still need to be competitive. That's where selling wholesale can help you break even and become profitable.

Let's use the same example. You know you can make a single necklace in 15 minutes, but because of working in larger quantities, you can make 6 necklaces in one hour. Now, your costs looks like this:

Now you're competitive! The necklace can be sold for retail price of wholesale x 2 = $29.72, which I would round up to $30.00.

This is truly a contrived example, but it demonstrates what I like to call Economies of Time. We're familiar with Economies of Scale, in which buying larger quantities drives down the cost per unit. With Economies of Time, doing repetitive tasks successively can help you to build speed, allowing your to accomplish more per units of time.

But I also use this example intentionally, as it's the model on which I base my pricing. I sell my candles wholesale for $10 each, and cases of 12 for $120. Pretty simple math. But it takes just as long to make 12 candles as it does to make 1. (Think preparing a batch of cookies then putting only one into the oven). I use Economies of Time to provide a 10% savings to the buyer if each case is one fragrance only. I'm willing to pass my savings in time on to the buyer and sell one fragrance case for only $108.00.

Now, as someone just beginning to gain wholesale orders, I realize it will take some time for a buyer to want to buy an entire case of one fragrance. But I believe they will see this as an incentive as as they become more comfortable and intrigued with my product!

What also goes unsaid in this example, is the extra costs of supply inventory for unmade product. Using my batch of cookies example, when I only bake one cookie, I have not only excess flour, sugar, and butter (supply inventory) but excess unbaked cookie dough (product inventory). This carries a cost as well as the excess flour, sugar and butter are opened and will only be used when I make another batch (sunk costs), and I can't sell the dough until I bake again (inventory).

This week I encourage you to think about you can maximize your time by producing in larger quantities. Even in the example above, each necklace will be slightly different due to the natural variance in hand crafted items. But if our goal is to make money from our craft, we need to analyze the costs associated with our business.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Today I'm pleased to introduce to you Ekaterina Pavlolva (also known as Katya) of Katrinmaina. Please read more about her wonderful work here:

My name is Ekaterina, but all my friends call me Katya - it is shorter and everyone understands the spelling :)

I felt I could create something all my life, but I found myself as an artisan only two years ago when I attended felting workshop. We were going to "draw" the picture using the colorful wool. I took a piece of wool and....I fell in love deeply, completely and forever :)

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

I began thinking about selling wholesale in early last summer. How I made that decision was based upon my desire, not only to get more product into stores, but to increase my revenue. Yet, for as much as I write about being prepared and making sound business decisions, once I entered the wholesale market, I found I was not as prepared for selling wholesale as I thought I was.

Here's how it started: I knew I needed more revenue. I know it's just as easy and no less time consuming to pour five candles as it is to pour one. So my logic at the time told me that if I could sell more candles, I could make more money! And working full time, I did not have the time to market my product, so why not find someone to do that for me?

But here are some issues I was struggling with:

Branding - I wasn't happy with my branding. Like most entrepreneurs, I did not have a lot of revenue to invest in graphic design. But in my for me, much of my product line needs to be sold with graphic design. Until you can smell through your computer, I needed something else to help me sell my product.

Inventory or financial management - I didn't have an inventory or financial management system. Yes, I promote the fact that I create my product at the time of order. And yes, I was keeping track of my revenue and expenses. But I did have a small inventory that I kept for craft shows and farmer's markets.

Promotional materials - If you followed my newsletter series, you know how much I enjoy marketing. I didn't think developing promotional materials would be too big of a task.

Policies - I had a vague thought in my head of $100 minimum orders and payment upon order, but that was it. I hadn't thought about policies for samples, shipping, order processing, returns....the list goes on and on.

I had approached some local stores before about selling my products. I had even sent sample tea lights and basic information. But I wasn't getting anywhere. When I found a site to place a free listing for representation, I decided, why not?

So, imagine my surprise when two days later, a representative did in fact contact me about repping my line!

My wisdom to you today is to be prepared. If you're struggling with an aspect or two of your business as it exists now, the problem will only magnify when your sales become larger. Take time out of your busy schedule now to identify a problem. Maybe you know you have an issue but can't identify exactly its cause. Or identify where you have an opportunity to do better. Then take time to think through how to resolve it. Reach out to other business owners if you need to. Ask for help from friends. But don't think that by waiting "until you get that large order" means you should avoid dealing with it now.

With Thanksgiving and the holiday shopping weekend ahead of us, I know many of you won't have as much time for my weekly business lessons. The next few weeks, we'll address each of the issues I listed and how they were resolved. If you have struggles with any of these problems or other issues and concerns, please let me know. Let's work on them together over the next few weeks and start 2013 with a bang!

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Every other Sunday I give thanks to those curators who have featured me in their gorgeous treasuries, shopping collections on Etsy. I hope you enjoy these wonderful collections, visit the curators, and shop the stores!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Last week I introduced the next topic in my business series as Selling Wholesale. I had been debating about how to move forward and which topic to broach first, when, lo and behold! Yesterday I received an email from Arts Business Institute with their thoughts on this very subject!

The theory of their blog post compared the risk and potential of craft sales to the risk and potential of selling wholesale. At a craft show, it can be difficult to predict what your sales will be. If you have products remaining, you know what your sales potential of that product is. But if you sell out, you have no basis upon which to calculate your potential future sales. Using an 80/20 rule (80% of your sales come from 20% of your products), knowing your potential can help you plan how much product to make with a level of accuracy an unknown cannot. Because you may never know if you could have sold more, you will never know how much money you could have made.

Also, you have no potential of unsold product as well as the cost of additional inventory.

Selling wholesale, particularly at wholesale trade shows in their example, you only have to make one item to showcase as sample inventory, from which you will sell. If you get orders, great! Your return on investment (ROI) is great. For example, your sample costs $10 to make. You receive an order for 100 units. Your ROI is as follows:

If you make no sales from an item, you're only out the cost of one item, compared to the cost of all unsold items you would have from a craft show.

In essence, it's much easier and less expensive to change your product line when selling wholesale. Because you can gauge if something doesn't sell, you only need to product one item to replace it in your inventory. And you don't have excess inventory left to sell.

Another point that I like is: every product is sold before it is made. Every dollar spent on supply inventory for an order will become a return on that investment.

The last point made in the article refers to repeat sellers. Happy customers will return again and again. And what better customers than those that make purchases in bulk!!!

Many of us hope to make money while producing art. But if we're serious about making money in addition to making art, we need to spend a proportional amount of time running our business. Why not run the numbers and give wholesale a try?

Spirtually Sewn was my vision in 2011 but due to circumstances I was unable to open my Etsy shop. Disappointed, I packed away my sewing machine and all of my lovely fabrics knowing that next year would be another chance to start. I had almost given up on my vision but with faith on, August 22, 2012 I was able to open my shop.Fast forward to 2012, I pulled out the yards of fabric that I had packed away the previous year along with my sewing machine and decided to try it again. I have operated a homebased business before and I loved being an entrepreneur. The timing was right and here I am the proprietor of Spiritually Sewn.

I love to write so crafting journals are more than a craft it's and enjoyment and I use them alot. From jotting down my bills to writing poetry. The journals that I make are simple but chic; utilitarian but ornamental. I think the kanzashi flower and fabric covered foutain pen makes them stand out along with the various type and patterns of fabric

I am most proud of the matching fountain pens as it took much trial and error
to produce them.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

A few months ago I entered into the world of wholesale. And yes, it is a whole new world. It's been a learning experience for me, and as my business continues to grow, I'm sure I'll continue to learn more along the way.

Many artists approach wholesale as if it were a four letter word. Why? They fear losing the integrity of creating a unique piece with every artistic effort. Now, I realize there is a difference between the business of selling jewelry, photography, or ceramics and selling candles, but there is also a strong similarity: the word BUSINESS.

If you're not in business to make money, why are you in business? It's certainly ok to have a hobby and a talent from which you can earn additional revenue. But if your goal is to earn a living from your craft, you need to approach your work as a job, and as a business.

And to do so, all business models should be considered, from online selling, to craft shows, to consignment, and to wholesale.

As each of your items is handmade, each item will be slightly different from the next, even if using the same style and materials. You lose no artistic integrity in the process! In fact, you can gain from quantities of time as you mind becomes trained in repetitive tasks, and more importantly, quantities of scale as you are able to purchase supplies in greater quantities and lower costs.

Another fear artists vocalize is pricing. An elementary formula for your pricing should be Cost x 2 = Wholesale Price, and Cost x 4 = Retail Price. The fear here is that you're only earning twice your costs in wholeselling, versus the perceived "100%" in retailing. But the part that is overlooked is volume. Not only can you buy in larger quantities and reduce the per item cost, but you're able to generate more sales. And more sales begets more sales. And more sales drives people to your website, perhaps to place a custom order. And more sales begets more sales.

And if you're not trying to generate sales, why are you in business? I'm not trying to discourage anyone, but I am trying to suggest we all review why we spend the time doing what we do.

A good friend and mentor asked me, "Are you in business to make candles or to make money?" It's a question I've repeated to myself many times. If my answer, if your answer is, "to make _____", that's ok!!!! If this is the answer, I encourage you to reflect on how you are using your time and what the return on that investment of time is. If my answer, if your answer is, "to make money," then I encourage you to review what you are doing to make money. Ask yourself, what is the return on my time?

Selling wholesale may help answer this question. My next series of blog postings will address my experiences of selling wholesale. While not an expert, I've learned many lessons, which I hope to share with you and help you grow.

Please leave some comments. Please ask some questions. Please share some experiences and lessons you've learned. I truly enjoyed the dialogue we shared in my newsletter series and hope we can have the same with the topic of selling wholesale.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Every other Sunday I give thanks to those curators who have featured my products in their gorgeous treasuries. I hope you enjoy these wonderful collections, visit the curators and their featured finds!

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

November is the month to give thanks. While we should always give thanks, whether because we are not in a path of destruction, or whether we've survived the path of destruction, there is always a reason to give thanks.In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the Fragrance of the Month for November is Cranberry Pomegranate.Bowing to my love of trivia, here is some background information on cranberries:

The name cranberry derives from "craneberry", first named by early European settlers in America who felt the expanding flower, stem, calyx, and petals resembled the neck, head, and bill of a crane. Another name used in northeastern Canada ismossberry. The traditional English name for Vaccinium oxycoccos, fenberry, originated from plants found growing in fen (marsh) lands. In 17th century New England cranberries were sometimes called "bearberries" as bears were often seen feeding on them.

Native Americans had been using cranberries long before the Europeans arrived. In addition to eating the berries as fruit, they used the fruit to preserve meat, dye fabrics and to treat wounds. Cranberries away have been part of the foods Native Americans introduced to the Pilgrims which helped the,survive their first winter in North America. Here is some additional trivia about the cranberry:

The cranberry is one of three fruits native to North America. The other two are the Concord grape and the blueberry.

There are approximately 333 cranberries in a pound, 3,333 cranberries in one gallon of juice, 33,333 cranberries in a 100-pound barrel

John Lennon repeated the words Cranberry sauce at the end of the song Strawberry Fields Forever, a fact that Lennon confirmed in a 1980 interview. He stated it was a kind of icing on the cake of the weirdness of song, where anything he might have imagined saying would have been appropriate.

Cranberries have been named the official state fruit in Wisconsin, which is a leader in the business of cranberry production.

For my candles, I have chosen the blend of Cranberry Pomegranate as the November Fragrance of the Month. I would describe this fragrance as citrusy with a hint of bubbly. Juicy pomegranate combined with tart cranberry create a unique and fresh alternative to cinnamon based fall fragrances.

Cranberry Pomegranate is available in all candle and home fragrance products: 12 oz and 7 oz candles, wickless candles, tea lights, votives, fragrance tarts and diffuser oils and fragrance sprays.

Also try Cranberry Pomegranate in body fragrance products such as lotion, body spray, and soaps.

Growing up I had dreams of living abroad or
in a big city and I am lucky to have done both.
I lived in Toyama, Japan for a few years and in NY City. I love all the color, texture and creativity
found in all of the places I have lived.
I especially fell in love with Japanese Decorative Paper and while in NY
I took some book binding classes.

I love everything I create. If I don’t love it I won’t sell it. All of my creations have different origins and inspiration, no two were created in exactly the same way. One of my earliest creations is a simple design inspired by my time in Japan.

My main job is as a research assistant providing information to help teachers. I also work for my husband prepping canvases and working on his online site – to premier soon. My other interests are; movies, hiking, beach combing and growing flowers in the garden.

I hope you enjoy my designs as much as I enjoy creating them. The designs for my cards, journal covers and gift tags have a rustic, homemade feel that all things made by hand have. My items are meant to be used and shared, by doing so I hope they will have a life of their own.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

It's been a fun but long few weeks recently discussing aspects of writing a newsletter, so I thought it would be a good time to take a break. So let's go back to my favorite topic: candles!

I love candles. Even before I began making them, they were always burning in my home. I find there is something almost magical about a candle: from the basic element of fire to the combustion of wax and fire to create light, fragrance, and ambiance.

The upcoming four or five months are candle season. When we're home for the holidays, we light candles to welcome guests into our homes. We display tapers on our tables to help set the mood for a special dinner gathering. We light a votive in the power room to make it feel special to our guests. Maybe sometimes we even light a candle when we're alone at night, watching a movie, just to bring a sense of comfort to our world.

Today I want to share with you some fantastic inspirations I've found for decorating with candles. These ideas and more can be found on my Pinterest boards, which I hope you will also follow. I hope these ideas may inspire your holiday homes.

Add white pumpkins and pistachios to a white pillar candle

Place a white pillar candle in a hurricane vase, surround with Indian corn and raffia for a centerpiece worthy of your Plymouth ancestors.

Hollow the center of decorative pumpkins and add a tea light.

Adding a step to from above, make the hollow a tad larger, add a votive and a hurricane globe.

Dip your pumpkins in glue or Mod Podge, dip again in sugar or kosher sale for a simmery glow.